If You Build It
Long Shot Factory | Release Date: January 10, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniMar 7, 2014
An inspiring, educational, highly enjoyable documentary. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeLoren KingFeb 27, 2014
If this blend of community service, innovative teaching, and creative approach to design and construction sounds idealistic, the film’s final scenes deliver enough stress and sweat to show that idealism takes hard work, too. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoFeb 27, 2014
Director Patrick Creadon, who in 2006 made the entertaining "Wordplay," about crossword fanatics, probably errs on the side of advocacy here. But give him credit for acknowledging that idealistic endeavors don't always pay off. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayFeb 20, 2014
A bracing, quietly exhilarating documentary. Read full review
75
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthJan 10, 2014
Less a polemic than a portrait, If You Build It celebrates the flinty spirit that spurs problem solving and creativity (sometimes at the same time) with people not dedicated to a cause, but to people. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinJan 23, 2014
The film proves not only a stirring look at education's potential to rally and invigorate but also a vital snapshot of contemporary rural America. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJan 9, 2014
Creadon's doc benefits substantially from these kids, resulting in a film with modest commercial appeal that should have a healthy video afterlife with activism-minded students in college and graduate programs. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierJan 9, 2014
This honest and engrossing film shows how ingenuity and spark can restore excitement in education. That goal needs every helping hand it can get. Read full review
60
The DissolveNick SchagerJan 8, 2014
Unfortunately, as with so many social-survey documentaries, the film’s macro view comes at the expense of any microcosmic depth. Read full review
60
Time OutAndrew FrisicanoJan 8, 2014
Credit goes to Creadon for venturing beyond the classroom to look at how the teachers and students manage small victories despite limited resources. Read full review
50
VarietyGeoff BerkshireJan 9, 2014
A bittersweet ending offers both victory and defeat, but closes on a note of hard-won optimism. Read full review
50
Village VoiceDaphne HowlandJan 7, 2014
Creadon unveils his story in a haphazard, backwards-unfolding way. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineWes GreeneJan 7, 2014
It isn't until the rushed conclusion when director Patrick Creadon shows the possibilities of what the documentary could have been. Read full review
40
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldJan 9, 2014
The movie’s biggest weakness comes with its tendency to film people telling us what’s going on rather than having us observe. Read full review
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